On Saturday, I met up with David, Mark and Todd in Taichung for a photowalk.  It was a great day, lots of photo talk and some great weather.

Mark had a really good idea in that we should each make a blog post which highlights our favourite photos from the other shooters.  Here are my choices, as well as photos of the photographer in question.

First, the organizer himself, Mark.

And his photo,

This is the Luce Chapel and I really liked both Mark’s use of symmetry and his filmlike post processing in making an eye catching shot.

Next, is Todd.

And his photo,

Todd says that this was more or less a hip shot, but his composition worked out well, I think the slant and the moving scooter make for a pretty dynamic shot.  Like Mark, I like how Todd has given this a filmlike look in PP.

Finally, there is Dave.

and here is his photo,

This kid was cute and I like how Dave caught the kid looking back at his parents for encouragement.  Without his parents, no way would he get so close to the cow.

It was a great day and always good to meet up with photographer friends.  A special thanks to Mark for putting things together.  Hope we can do it again sometime soon.

A little over a year ago, I was lucky to come across a celebration at a temple very near my home.  Well, yesterday the blaring traditional horns and explosive fireworks let me know that something was happening again.  Following a short parade, they ended up back at the same temple. I was told they were celebrating the temple’s anniversary; I am not sure why there was year and a few weeks between the events.  I am guessing it is due to following the Lunar Calendar.

This will be a pretty photo heavy post, not really much commentary I need to add.  I will separate the shots between those taken during the performance and those taken in the preparation area backstage.

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Auto repair shops are quite different here in Taiwan than what I was used to in Canada.  They are much smaller and most importantly, most are centered around around motorcycle and scooter work, as opposed to cars and trucks.  Given the traffic make up of Taiwan, it makes perfect sense.

One shop is pretty much the same as the next.  In front will be a big drum for recycling oil, in and around the shop are enough petrochemicals to soil the environment for years to come.  They are staffed with mechanics with blackened hands and betel stains and there are tools strewn about.  What they all also seem to have in common is they are home to a shop dog.  These dogs are remarkably consistent as well.  Always large of mixed breed, they are, like their owners, covered in a film of lubricants.  Unlike most of though, these dogs are fat and lazy.  You will never see one which is fighting trim and you will rarely see one who will even give a visitor a passing glance; it is just too much work.  Certainly, they are not there for security, as that would require effort on the dogs part.  Mostly they are there for company I guess and to provide a bit of a mascot for the shop.  Being a bit big and lazy my own self, I have always felt a certain affinity to these passive mutts.

Here, I was lucky enough to catch one in action.  When walking past the shop, this fellow actually ambled over to give me a once over sniff.  He seemed curious enough about my camera as well and immediately after the shot was taken, his nose hit my lens, leaving a big smear of dog mucous.  This shot was taken years ago, when I lived in another neighbourhood; the dog was always there, usually sleeping.  Makes me think of making a trip to the old haunts to see if he is still around.

This morning, I had the chance to go see the David LaChapelle exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Taipei.   One of the great things about being in Taipei is that you can see these exhibits for very, very little money.  Admission was only 50nt and you could get a small program for 30nt.  That meant that for less than $3 Canadian, I was able to see a really well laid out exhibit, in a fantastic venue, of one of the most famous photographers in the world today.

LaChapelle was first brought to prominence by Andy Warhol, and like Warhol, he works in lots of mediums and freely borrows from artists of the past.  Here, the inspiration clearly is from Michaelangelo’s La Pietà, with Michael Jackson subbing for Jesus.  As I understand it, LaChapelle never did actually photograph Jackson; I am not sure of how it was created, though photorealism is not a big thing for LaChapelle.

The huge portrait of Andy Warhol was without a doubt the most traditional “photograph” on display.  It was also one of my top three favourite pieces on display.  A simple black and white headshot, shot on large format film, I am sure.  It was really nicely done. At the left, you can see one of LaChapelle’s riffs on Warhol’s famous Marilyn silkscreens.

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I was out for a walk this morning when I came across a small group practicing traditional fan dancing.  Dressed in their traditional robes, and moving so smoothly, it was nice to spend a few minutes watching and taking photos.

I believe that this is kind of an offshoot of a martial art, perhaps kung fu?

Like with other Eastern martial arts, the movements are slow, fluid and precise, until at the last possible moment, the fans are snapped open or shut.

The snapping of the fans is actually quite loud and can be a little startling if you don’t know it is about to happen.  After the fans are snapped, the pose is typically held for a moment, before moving on to the next phase.

I didn’t get long to shoot them, but I am glad I arrived when I did, as 10 minutes later they were packing up and leaving.